Transported
by Oonagh
Summary: While on a seemingly benign assignment O'Neill and Carter run into some problems and get a little lost.
1. Chapter 1

Transported

By Oonagh

Disclaimer: Stargate SG1 is not mine.

Author's Note: This story has been written for a long time but I'm only now getting around to posting it. It's intended to be a light hearted piece of fun, not to be taken too seriously. Timeline wise, you can probably slot it in any time you want after the first half of season 4. Please review, I like reviews.

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'_Running just as fast as we can, holding on to one another's hand_.' Bizarrely, song lyrics floated through Major Carter's mind as she ran stumblingly through the pitch black forest, clutching her CO's hand in order to stop from getting separated. That would be the last thing they needed. Or second last, at any rate. The last thing they needed was for one of them to trip and break an ankle. Carter pushed that thought from her mind and reminded herself to think positive and, above all, to concentrate on where she put her feet. At that moment her arm jerked and she heard a crash followed by muffled cursing.

"Sir?"

"Sorry, Carter. One of the trees hit me."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. We've got to keep going."

"Yes, sir." Carter felt her arm being tugged and they started off again but slower this time. Once bitten… That thought almost made her laugh out loud. If they'd stuck to that adage there'd never even have been a second trip through the Gate, let alone an SGC. And she and Colonel O'Neill wouldn't currently be running frantically through this forest at risk to life and limb.

Carter kept running, following her CO's lead until her breath began to come in gasps and she had to fight to keep from throwing up. Finally, pride gave in to physical need and Carter stopped, pulling on O'Neill's arm.

"Carter?"

"Sir…Need to rest, Colonel." Carter was panting heavily, despite her best efforts.

"That makes two of us, Major." Carter was perversely pleased to hear that he sounded as exhausted as she felt. They stood still for a moment. Carter looked around and she could sense that the colonel was doing the same.

"So, here's as good a place as any I guess."

"Yes, Sir." Carter sighed with relief and collapsed on the ground.

"Do you know, Sir, I really can't believe that this is happening."

"Tell me about it, Carter."

"I mean, when General Hammond ordered us to go on a teambuilding course I expected tea and icebreakers and…"

"Lots of annoying perky staff."

"Yeah."

"And instead we got a psychotic ex-Navy Seal who's determined to make men of us."

"Yes, Sir. And imagine how scared that makes _me_!" O'Neill snorted and pushed playfully at her shoulder. Then he laughed out loud.

"I suppose it could be worse."

"Sir, what could possibly be worse than orienteering at 02.30 hours?"

"Well, I could have been paired with Daniel." Now it was Carter's turn to snort.

"And besides, it's not orienteering, Carter. It's 'an illustration of how good teamwork can make difficult situations easier'."

"Sir, you astonish me – you read the brochure."

"Yeah, well recently, Carter, I've decided that I should probably try and read your reports so I'm starting small and working my way up."

"Sir, don't you find it frustrating to be always aiming for humour and always missing?"

"Hey, I am funny."

"Yes, Sir. Of course, Sir. Whatever you say, Sir." O'Neill pushed her again and Carter laughed. Then she stood up and reached down to pull her CO up. Her efforts were rewarded by a squeal.

"Carter! That was my eye!"

"Sorry, Sir. It's dark, Sir."

"Carter, are you laughing."

"Snickering, Sir."

"It _hurt_, for crying out loud."

"Yes, Sir. But you squealed like a girl."

"Did not."

"Did too. You sounded just like Cassie the first time she saw a spider."

"Did not."

"Great comeback, Sir." O'Neill hauled himself to his feet and reached out for Carter.

"Hey!"

"Sorry, Carter. Was looking for your hand."

"Well that wasn't it."

"Yeah, I figured." The two soldiers fumbled around for a while and eventually managed to link hands once again.

"Why couldn't this course have been held on earth, Carter? At least then we'd have had moonlight and I wouldn't have lost the sight in my right eye."

"I really am sorry about that, Sir."

"And I'm sorry for groping you."

"Sir?"

"Yes?"

"You crossed the fingers on the wrong hand, Sir."

"Oops." Knowing the darkness would mask her expression Carter allowed herself to smile.


	2. Chapter 2

Transported 2

By Oonagh

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The two soldiers continued on in silence for almost an hour, concentrating on putting one foot in front of another without cracking their skulls on a low hanging branch. When O'Neill spoke again Carter jumped, the sudden noise startling her.

"You know, Carter, this is actually quite fun."

"Fun, Sir?"

"Yeah. I mean, the weather's warm, no one's trying to kill us and if we don't do it right it won't be the end of the world. See?"

"Oh yes, Sir. Very relaxing. We should do it more often. But can we at least wait until the bruises heal?" O'Neill ignored her sarcasm and continued with his line of thought.

"And above all, Carter, I get to spend some time with my best friend in peace – without interruption and without worrying about starting any rumours." Carter was stunned. It wasn't like O'Neill to be so open and, besides, she had no idea that he thought of her like that. She knew her found her attractive and felt something…not quite professional for her but she had always thought that Daniel, or maybe Teal'c, was his best friend. She stopped short and felt O'Neill jerk to a halt in front of her.

"Carter?" O'Neill was puzzled and a little worried. _That last comment didn't cross the line did it? Nah, course not, she knows we're friends._

"Sir…I…Did you…I mean…"

"Carter, take a deep breath and start again." O'Neill smiled as he heard her inhale loudly – Carter always followed orders.

"Am I really your best friend, Sir?" Carter spoke so fast that O'Neill had difficulty separating the words. When he did, her question stunned him. She sounded so nervous – it was clear she wasn't just fishing for a compliment, she really wasn't sure.

"Of course, Carter. I thought you knew that."

"No, Sir. I thought Daniel or Teal'c or maybe Ferretti…"

"Jeez, Carter, sometimes you are so _thick_. You're the one I enjoy spending time with, whose advice I most value, who I have most in common with, ergo you are my best friend. See? It's really quite simple."

"Yes, Sir." Carter's voice was shocked.

"You do believe me, don't you?"

"Yes, Sir." This time her voice was steadier, more certain and O'Neill thought he could hear a smile.

"Good. Now that that's sorted we can get moving. I know the fate of the world might not depend on our winning but we'll never live it down if we're beaten by Daniel." O'Neill grinned when he heard Carter chuckle. This darkness was making everything so difficult. He was used to reading Carter by her facial expressions but right now if it hadn't been for her hand clasped securely in his and the sound of her breathing he wouldn't even have known she was there. Granted, that fact made it easier to talk openly to her – and she obviously felt the same as she seemed freer, more relaxed with him than she had in a long time – but he hated having to guess her reactions or gauge them via her tone which, experience had taught him, was often misleading. He tugged gently at her hand and the two of them set out again at a steady, if not speedy, pace.

Thirty minutes later O'Neill grinned. They had located their final flag and were now on the last leg of the exercise. They'd made good time so far and O'Neill was convinced there was no way Daniel could beat them now. He grabbed the flag and shoved it in his vest pocket. Carter took advantage of the break to lean against a tree and rest.

"Who'd have thunk it, eh, Carter? Being a Boy Scout finally paid off. Those engraved directions on the trees were a doddle to read." He sounded so proud of himself that Carter had to smile and the thought of him as a Boy Scout turned it in to a fully fledged grin.

"You did a great job, Sir. Your Scoutmaster would be proud."

"Carter, you can mock but you don't want to lose to Spacemonkey any more than I do."

"True, Sir. I do have some standards."

"Let's go, Carter. There's no point falling asleep one hundred yards from Mary-Anne."

"Sir?"

"It's a song, Carter. This man and his horse got lost in a blizzard. Eventually they gave up trying to find their way back and they lay down and died. It turned out later that they were only one hundred yards from home."

"Cheerful song, Sir."

"Yeah, Country music does tend to be a bit melodramatic at times."

"Country music, urgh." Carter gave an exaggerated shudder. O'Neill ignored her and tugged at her hand again, maybe a little harder than was strictly necessary.

"Come on."

"Yes, Sir." Carter giggled slightly. Her Co _really_ hated people mocking his music.

"Don't think I didn't hear that giggle, Carter."

"Sorry, Sir."

"No you're not."

"True." Again silence descended as the two officers moved forward steadily. Then came a loud cracking noise followed by a low, rumbling sound. O'Neill and Carter stopped immediately, glancing around even though they knew they would see nothing.

"What the…" O'Neill's question was cut off as the ground beneath his feet started to slide away, slowly at first but gathering speed. O'Neill flailed against it and Carter pulled at his arm, not knowing what was happening but feeling him being pulled away from her. It seemed as though they were winning until the ground under Carter began to move and she joined her CO on a downward slide, hands still firmly clasped.


	3. Chapter 3

Transported (3)

By Oonagh

Disclaimer: Not Mine

Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews, glad people are enjoying it so far.

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What seemed like hours – long, painful hours – later the slide stopped and the bodies it carried along with it came to a halt, both half-covered in mud and neither moving. Then O'Neill began to cough, spitting clumps of mud and who-knows-what-else out of his mouth, a look of disgust on his face. The noise caused Carter to stir and she sat up and groaned.

"Ow, that hurt."

"Ya think?"

"You okay, Sir?"

"A few bruises. You?"

"I think so, Sir."

"Well you look like crap."

"Why thank you, Sir. You really know how…Hey, I can see you."

"That's because I'm right in front of you, Carter."

"No, Sir, I mean it's not pitch black anymore."

"Dawn?" O'Neill questioned hopefully.

"I don't think so, Sir." Carter was staring upward and O'Neill followed her gaze. Above them hovered a large, luminous moon. O'Neill glanced back at Carter and then looked around him.

"Um, Carter, where'd all the trees go?" Carter pulled her eyes away from the moon and turned her puzzled frown to their immediate surroundings, noting instantly that her CO was right – not a tree as far as the eye could see. _Why do I feel a Dorothy moment coming on_, she wondered.

"Well, Carter, it looks like we're not…"

"In Kansas anymore." Carter finished his sentence.

"Hey!"

"Sorry, Sir. You're getting predictable." Carter's teasing was automatic and absentminded – most of her attention was focused on figuring out what ad happened.

"I think you're right, Sir. There's no way we can still be on P5X 392. We know for a fact that planet has no moon – no satellites of any type for that matter."

"So where are we then, Carter? And how did we get here?"

"I don't know, Sir. And before you ask, Sir, I don't know how to get us back either."

"Well, Carter, in that case there's not much we can do about anything in the dark. So we rest and figure this out in the morning."

"But, Sir…"

"No buts, Major. We need the rest and, unfortunately, the problem will probably still be there in the morning."

"Yes, Sir."

"Okay then. We don't want to move too far from here but we can't sleep in this mud so we'll have to find somewhere drier. And firmer." O'Neill stood up slowly, trying not to slide on the mud and Carter followed his example. Tentatively the two moved in the direction of the setting moon. Fortunately, they didn't have to go far before their feet hit firm ground and they both heaved sighs of relief. Then Carter grinned.

"Still having fun, Sir?"

"Oh yeah! Haven't had this much fun since the last time I broke my leg."

"Well at least it's warm here, Sir." Carter referred back to the same incident, inwardly cringing at the memory of the snapping sounds his leg had made while she set it.

"I suppose. But the cold did have its advantages, Carter." O'Neill lay down on the ground, laughing at Carter's blush.

"So I take it I have first watch then Sir?" Other than O'Neill's grin Carter got no answer and so she sat down a few feet from her CO and stared off into the night, trying to ignore how tired she felt – tired enough that the ground looked like an inviting bed. Yawning, Carter fell back on a habit from academy days – she began to inwardly recite the words of songs, keeping her brain ticking over and stopping her from falling asleep. _Have you heard of the battle of the Sugar Puffs, where most of the fighting was done…_as usual she started with her childhood and worked her way up.

Two hours later she glanced at her watch and finished the song she was on. Then she stood up, stretched and gently kicked O'Neill in the ribs. Immediately his eyes sprang open and his hand flew to where his weapon would have been had he had one with him. Carter smiled inwardly. For all his complaining about being too old for this her CO was still at least as alert as a man half his age – probably more so.

"Your watch, Sir."

"Already? I am _so _getting too old for this." Instead of her usual smiling non-answer Carter spoke.

"No, Sir, you're not." With this she lay down and wriggled a bit to get comfortable. Even with her eyes closed she could tell O'Neill was looking at her, a bemused, but slightly pleased, look on his face.


	4. Chapter 4

Transported 4

By Oonagh

Disclaimer: Still not mine.

Author's Note: More reviews! Thanks so much.

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O'Neill finally stopped standing staring at his subordinate and sat down to stare at her instead. To say he was shocked would be an understatement. Carter never paid him compliments, not like that. Not that he was complaining, mind you. O'Neill was pretty certain he could get used to it. He just wished he knew what brought it on. Maybe it had been their orientation speech the day before. O'Neill grinned at the memory of the tough Commander Lambert reluctantly giving the speech, which had obviously been written by a psychology major with no idea of military life. Commander Lambert had, with a suspiciously straight face, advised his victims that,

"Honesty truly is the best policy. No team can truly act as a cohesive unit if all the members are not open and honest with one another. To this end, during the weekend if you feel something express it to your team mates. You'll be amazed at the difference this can make!" O'Neill had interrupted proceedings at this point by laughing out loud at the conversation that flitted through his head.

"_Hey Carter!"_

"_Yes, Sir?"_

"_You've got a really cute butt and great legs."_

The thought made him laugh again. Yup, that would make a difference all right. O'Neill snorted.

Looking at Carter's sleeping form O'Neill reluctantly decided that Carter had probably paid no more attention to the orientation briefing than he had and that her slip-up was probably due to tiredness. O'Neill's mind finally left Cater and focused on their current situation. He was still as puzzled as he had been before his sleep. He hoped Carter was having more luck than him at coming up with a solution._ She probably is too. I've always said the woman works even in her sleep._ With a small grin O'Neill shifted to a more comfortable position and settled in to await the dawn.

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Daniel Jackson breathed a sigh of relief as he set foot over the door of the dull, grey, tent-like building the Air Force had set up as their HQ on this planet. This had easily been the worst night of his life – including the times he'd been captured, tortured and killed. Night time orienteering would have been bad enough but night time orienteering with a confused and rather irritated Jaffa was pure hell on…well P5X 392. Teal'c was puzzled by the whole idea of teambuilding and, Daniel had learned, believed it a waste of time that could be better spent fighting the Goa'uld. And Daniel couldn't bring himself to argue with the alien when he pointed out that SG1 was already a team and, therefore, team_building_ was unnecessary. Deep inside Daniel agreed – as far as he was concerned nothing, short of imminent death, justified being awakened at 02:15 and sent out into the cold without coffee. But now he was home – or as near as, anyway – and Daniel could already visualise the cup of hot, steaming, revolting coffee he was going to make himself as soon as he rested for a while. So it was with a smile on his face that Daniel Jackson finished the exercise, stepping into the well lit main hall.

"Aha. Only one remaining team still out now." Daniel jumped slightly at Commander Lambert's strident voice and then he grinned wider. Only _second_ last? They'd done better than he'd thought. He looked around to find Jack and gloat – the other man had placed money on Daniel finishing dead last. He quickly scanned the room and then looked around more slowly, slightly puzzled.

"Teal'c, do you see Jack and Sam?"

"No, Daniel Jackson. They do not appear to be here." Daniel frowned.

"Commander Lambert, have you seen Jack and Sam? I thought for sure they'd be here to gloat." As he spoke, Daniel continued to look around the room.

"Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter have not yet returned."

"What? You mean they're _last_?" Daniel's voice rose in disbelief. A marine standing nearby snorted.

"So, looks like SG1's not all it's cracked up to be. Last and second last. Way to go!" Daniel tensed but otherwise ignored the interruption.

"Commander, we need to go and look for them. Something must have happened."

"Relax, Doctor Jackson. It's a little early for panic. There's still an hour to go before they break the 'slowest ever' record. And if all I've heard about SG1 is true there's nothing out there that the Colonel and Major can't handle."

"But Jack and Sam would _never_ be last. I don't think either of them has ever come last at anything in their lives."

"There's a first time for everything, Doctor Jackson." Commander Lambert walked away, leaving a very uneasy archaeologist behind him. Daniel turned to Teal'c who raised an eyebrow.

"While I do not believe it is likely that O'Neill and Major Carter would finish last I am forced to concede that it is possible, Daniel Jackson." Daniel shook his head but realised that, for the next hour at least, there was nothing he could do but wait, and hope.


	5. Chapter 5

Transported 5

By Oonagh

The hour passed slowly. Daniel alternated between sitting in the common room, gritting his teeth at the snide remarks of the other teams, and pacing just outside the door, peering fruitlessly into the darkness. The very second his watch told him that the hour had passed Daniel and Teal'c went to Commander Lambert, determined not to leave the man alone until he agreed to go looking. This time they found Lambert in the armoury. As soon as Daniel opened the door the Navy man spoke.

"Right on time, Doctor Jackson. At least part of SG1 is punctual." Daniel ignored the barb.

"When do we leave?"

"Leave? I'm still not convinced a search party is really called for. Your team mates may simply have lost track of time."

"Lost track of time?" Daniel didn't even try to hide his puzzlement.

"I have to say I was worried that sending those two off into the woods on their own in the dark wasn't a good idea. I mean, I've heard the rumours, same as everybody else."

"Rumours? Hang on, you're not sending out a search party because you think Jack and Sam are only late because they're out there having…making…doing…"

"Engaging in sexual intercourse."

"Um, yes, thank-you, Teal'c…and that they've gotten distracted!" Daniel's voice clearly telegraphed his disbelief and outrage. Teal'c calmly lifted a zat weapon off the shelf and pointed it at Commander Lambert before activating it. Daniel swung his head round at the sound.

"Teal'c what are you doing?"

"This man has impugned the honour of my friends by suggesting that they would violate their oaths. Jaffa tradition dictates that, for this, he must know pain." Daniel put his hand on Teal'c's arm.

"How about later, Teal'c? Right now we need him to organise search parties. He knows this area better than anyone else."

"As always, your words are wise, Daniel Jackson. I will postpone my vengeance until a more expedient time." Teal'c slowly lowered the weapon and Daniel turned back to Commander Lambert.

"So, when do we leave?" Lambert's eyes slid from Teal'c's glowering face to Daniel's innocent gaze and back again. He shrugged.

"Not until first light. With no moon we could pass within feet of them and never know it. I suggest you get a couple of hours sleep. If you're right and something has happened, tomorrow will be a long day." With that Lambert left the room.

"Postpone your vengeance, huh, Teal'c? Where did that come from?"

"I did not see any reason to continue debating with a man so obviously obtuse. I was merely saving us time."

"Well it was good. Just wait till I tell Sam and Jack. Jack'll love it!" Teal'c raised an eyebrow at Daniel's overly cheerful tone.

"Daniel Jackson, we will find them and they will be unharmed."

"Yeah, Teal'c, I know. SG1 always pulls through in the end."

"Indeed." Daniel and Teal'c left for their rooms and tried to sleep, both knowing that it would be futile but each anxious to keep up the pretence.

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At first light O'Neill woke Carter with a gentle shake.

"Up and at 'em, soldier."

"Already, Sir?"

"Yup, Carter. It's dawn, time to go home."

"Yes, Sir." Carter spoke through a yawn and stood up, running a hand through her hair in an attempt to straighten it.

"So where do we start, Carter?"

"I have no more idea about that, sir, than I did last night."

"What, no inspiring dreams?"

"No. Sir. Although I did have a very interesting one about the SGC. Janet went on a rampage – armed with _really _big needles. She caught you, Sir. And you squealed like a girl. Again."

"Funny, Carter, very funny."

"Yes, Sir!"


	6. Chapter 6

Transported 6

By Oonagh

Author's Note: Sorry it took so long to update. My computer caught a virus and was really quite ill for a while. He's up and about now, however, and things are getting back to normal.

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Commander Lambert was as good as his word and, half an hour after dawn, the search parties were sent out, each with a specific grid to search. The Commander made no secret of the fact that he believed the seach to be unnecessary, telling the search parties that Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter had probably just gotten lost and holed up somewhere until sunrise.

"We'll probably run into them coming back looking embarrassed but this doesn't mean that we go about our job half-heartedly. I expect every team to thoroughly comb their quadrant and to report anything out of the ordinary to me immediately. No matter what, all teams are to be back here by nightfall. I don't want to have to send search parties out looking for the search parties. Okay, move out, everybody." Commander Lambert watched as each team left in their assigned directions and then he turned to Daniel and Teal'c.

"I didn't assign us a search quadrant, Jackson, because I thought we should retrace the route the colonel and major should have taken last night in the hope that they didn't go too far off course. I do _so_ hope you approve of this plan." The sarcasm in Commander Lambert's voice was plain but Daniel chose to ignore it, focussing instead on the plan which, to be fair, appeared to be reasonable.

"Sounds fine, Commander. Jack and Sam are both soldiers and they know that the best way to get rescued is to stay in the place where people expect you to be."

"Daniel Jackson is correct. O'Neill and Major Carter will not have left the course unless it became necessary." With this Teal'c set off, leaving the two humans to follow.

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It did not take Carter and O'Neill long to return to the place where the landslide had come to halt the night before. O'Neill stopped where the impressions of their bodies still remained in the mud.

"You know, Carter, I could have sworn I slid down a hill last night."

"Me too, Sir."

"And yet here we have a patch of dried mud in the middle of a completely flat plain."

"Yes, Sir. I can only assume that at some point in our fall we came within the field of some sort of transportation device. But I'm puzzled by the fact that there's nothing here – no device or control console, nothing."

"Exactly what I was thinking. What use is a transportation device if it doesn't go both ways?"

"Well, Sir, maybe it does but it can only be operated from one side. Or maybe it's automated. Or maybe it wasn't originally designed as a transportation device. From here, there's really no way of knowing."

"Okay, but what about P5X-whatever? I don't remember seeing any kind of device there, let alone activating one."

"Me neither, Sir. But it was very dark and it's possible that the device was activated by the mudslide. Although it's equally possible that its activation caused the mudslide. I'm afraid at this point it's all guess work, Sir." Despite the gravity of the situation O'Neill almost smiled at Carter's obvious disappointment at not being able to explain everything.

"So, no way back then, Carter?"

"It would appear not, Sir. At least not from our end. Who knows about P5X-392."

"Well, I'm sure they're out looking for us by now and our tracks shouldn't be too difficult to follow given the number of branches I broke with my head. They'll find whatever caused this, figure it out and beam us home. Just like on _Star Trek_."

"Yes, Sir."

"Carter, you don't exactly sound confident."

"You make it sound so easy, Sir, but figuring out alien technology is _never_ easy and with me here and Captain O'Hara on maternity leave the project will probably go to Felger."

"What!"

"Yes, Sir." Carter maintained her worried face for a few seconds longer while her CO's face fell and then she laughed.

"Gotcha!" At O'Neill's expression Carter started laughing harder and sat down.

"Carter, that was cruel. No, that was beyond cruel. Us old men can't take shocks like that, you know."

"Sorry, Sir." Carter gasped out between giggles. O'Neill frowned down at her.

"You sound awfully happy for someone stranded indefinitely on an unknown planet with only two bars of chocolate and half a packet of chewing gum."

"I don't think we need worry, Sir. You were right when you said they'll find us."

"So we just stay put then, Carter."

"Yes, Sir." Carter, still seated, snapped off a professional salute, a huge grin on her face. O'Neill cat down beside her. _Great, I'm stuck on a planet with Carter in her funny half hour. Typical._

"So what about a game, Sir? To kill some time."

"Carter, if you're about to suggest 'I Spy' I will be forced to beat you to death with a rock."

"Well in that case, Sir, we'll just have to play 'what's the next line?'."

"Carter?"

"I start by quoting the line of a song and then you give me the next line. If you get it right, it's your turn."

"And this is fun?"

"Um, not really. But in the absence of a naquadah generator, it'll do."

"Great. So this game is _less_ fun than tinkering about with complicated machinery? I can't wait."

"It could be worse, Sir. If Daniel were here you'd be playing 'describe that obscure historical event in no fewer than one thousand words'." O'Neill shuddered.

"Good point, Carter. Fire away."

"Okay. 'We don't need no education'."

"We don't need no thought control."

"Okay, it's your turn, Sir."

"Oh goody. 'Star Trekkin across the universe'."

"On the _Starship Enterprise_ under Captain Kirk." At O'Neill's raised eyebrows Carter shrugged.

"Teal'c made me learn it. Said it was a classic."


	7. Chapter 7

Transported 7

By Oonagh

Author's Note: Thanks so much for all the reviews. I've gotten more for this story than for any other I've written, which is nice…

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By the time Daniel and the others had traced O'Neill and Carter's path to the muddy slope the sun had almost reached its highest point in the sky and everyone was tired, warm and grouchy in addition to being, at least in the case of Daniel and Teal'c, worried. The search team stopped at the edge of the incline where the footprints they had been following ended.

"This looks like a recent landslide," Commander Lambert declared after a brief examination.

"Indeed," Teal'c concurred. Daniel frowned.

"If Jack and Sam were here when this happened they could be badly hurt or even buried."

"Or they could simply have been taken off course and were unable to find their way back in the dark. Like I said before, they're probably holed up somewhere waiting on us." Daniel nodded slowly although he still looked disbelieving.

"If that is the case, Commander Lambert, then should we not make our way down the hillside and continue our search." Teal'c's calm voice drew the attention of both men and they nodded in agreement. Teal'c carefully began to pick his way down the hill, sure in the knowledge that the other two would follow and grateful that he had prevented another squabble between them – their arguments were helping no-one. About three-quarters of the way down the slope Teal'c stopped abruptly, raising a clenched fist to indicate that the others should do the same.

"Daniel Jackson, I believe I have found something." Daniel moved around Teal'c to see what he was talking about. Standing slightly in front of them was a stone pillar about three feet high, surrounded on three sides by smaller, crystalline rocks which glittered slightly in the sun. What drew Daniel's attention most, however, was the fact that the pillar was covered almost completely in what was clearly some kind of writing. Daniel reached his hand out and started to step forward but Teal'c spoke, bringing him to a halt.

"I believe that it would be unwise to touch this edifice, Daniel Jackson." Daniel looked at his friend, confusion plain on his face.

"Why? It's just a rock, Teal'c."

"Look around, Daniel Jackson." Daniel did as he was instructed, noting that his actions were being mimicked by an equally puzzled Commander Lambert.

"I don't see anything, Teal'c"

"The mud extends no further than this 'rock', Daniel Jackson." Daniel looked down at the ground and realised that Teal'c was right. The mudflow ended abruptly, and in a suspiciously straight line, about a foot downhill from the pillar. Daniel opened his mouth and then closed it again, shaking his head.

"I guess this explains what happened to the colonel and the major." Commander Lambert's tone was solemn.

"What do you mean?" Daniel's head swung round to face the older man.

"It's obvious that they were zapped by this…whatever it is. Just like the mud." Daniel shook his head vigorously.

"We have no evidence that _anything_ has been zapped. We have no idea what happens to things that pass this marker. I mean, it's hardly likely that they simply cease to exist and if they were destroyed there'd be some sort of residue. So until we know what this thing is we still have no way of knowing what happened to Jack and Sam." Commander Lambert rolled his eyes.

"And exactly how do you suggest we find out what this device is if we can't touch it?" Daniel shrugged slightly and then bent to pick a pick a good-size rock from the ground.

"We start at the beginning." As he spoke Daniel lobbed the rock in the direction of the pillar, watching closely to see what happened. The rock flew past the pillar and then, suddenly, vanished. Daniel looked over at Teal'c, who nodded.

"See it's gone. Poof." Commander Lambert's voice came from behind Daniel but the archaeologist ignored it and began making his way towards the pillar, followed closely by Teal'c. When they were close enough to get a good view of the markings on the pillar Daniel sat down cross-legged on the ground, head cocked to one side. After a brief survey he turned to Teal'c, a grin on his face.

"I don't think they're hurt, Teal'c. This top drawing here seems to suggest that this is some sort of transport device – like the Stargate except I think it only goes to one place. Unfortunately, I think it sends people to another planet and I don't know which one. So we're no closer to finding them."

"At least we know that they are alive and unhurt, Daniel Jackson, and although they may be far away that is still good news." Daniel nodded. Then he glanced up, hope lighting his face, before he fumbled for his radio.

"Jack, come in. Can you hear me?" As his finger released the talk button Daniel frowned. Static was the only answer he got. Commander Lambert sighed and rolled his eyes. For someone who was supposed to be so smart…

"Colonel O'Neill doesn't _have_ a radio, Doctor Jackson. They weren't allowed on the exercise, remember?" Daniel opened his mouth, a sarcastic retort regarding bright ideas on alien planets on his lips, but Teal'c spoke first.

"If you are right, Daniel Jackson, and this is a transportation device can we not use it to send a radio to O'Neill and Major Carter?" As he spoke Teal'c detached the radio from his vest and, at Daniel's brief nod, threw it toward the pillar. The radio vanished.

"And now we wait."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Carter and O'Neill had spent the entire morning sitting beside the mud pile. The singing game had lasted a while but had broken down into a debate on just how many tenth birthdays Bart Simpson had had. Even now, as the sun neared its zenith, Carter wasn't sure how the one had led to the other. At the moment O'Neill lay stretched out on the ground, an arm shading his eyes from the sun, while Carter sat, legs crossed, keeping a wary eye on the horizon. She glared down at her CO.

"Comfortable, Sir?" Her only answer was a soft grunt and Carter found herself wishing for water – it would bring her great pleasure to dump a bucket full over his head right now. It might even bring her enough pleasure to make up for the severe disciplinary action that would inevitably follow. Just as Carter's mind truly began to wander, a large rock flew out of nowhere and hit O'Neill solidly on the arm. O'Neill jerked upwards and Carter started laughing, despite the look on his face which boded no good for her. As he advanced toward her menacingly, Carter managed to speak through her laughter.

"It wasn't me, Sir. I swear." O'Neill looked disbelieving.

"It came through the device. Just appeared out of nowhere. I think maybe someone's found us. Sort of." O'Neill studied her for a minute and then nodded.

"I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, Major. This time."

"Thank you, kind Sir." Colonel O'Neill opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by something hitting him, hard, on the back of the head.

"For crying out loud!" Carter started laughing again as O'Neil bent down to pick up the radio.

"See, Sir? I told you."


	8. Chapter 8

Transported 8

By Oonagh

Author's Note: This chapter is short, I know, but I'm very busy today. More should come soon.

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"Jack, come in. Can you hear me?" O'Neill pushed the talk button in with a little more force than necessary.

"Yes, Daniel, we can hear you."

"Thank goodness! Are you okay? Is Sam with you? Where are you?" O'Neill rolled his eyes and Carter grinned.

"Yes. Yes. And I don't know." There was silence, broken only by the sound of static, as Daniel digested these answers. O'Neill finally took pity on him and continued,

"Carter thinks we got zapped by a thingamy which beamed us here. Wherever here is."

"Yes, I think she's right. But why are you still there?"

"Well, we tried hitch-hiking back but, wouldn't you know it, not a single car has passed by." It was Carter's turn to roll her eyes. She took the radio from O'Neill and took over.

"Daniel, there's no sign of any machine here or any way of activating a machine."

"um, well, the thing on this end doesn't really look like a machine. More like a small engraved pillar of rock surrounded by smaller stones."

"There's nothing like that here, Daniel." O'Neill raised an eyebrow.

"There's _nothing_ here, Carter." Reluctantly, Carter agreed.

"The Colonel's right, Daniel. There's nothing in sight for miles in any direction. I think there's only one control mechanism and it's on your end. So can't you activate it somehow?"

"Um, I don't think so."

"You don't _think_ so?" O'Neill snatched the radio back from Carter.

"No. You see the engravings on the pillar are presumably instructions of some kind."

"And? So? Yet? But?"

"But I can't read them."

"Let me guess…it's all Greek to you."

"No, Jack. If it were Greek I _would_ be able to read it." Carter snorted and O'Neill glared at her. She raised her hands in mock surrender and he went back to his conversation.

"Okay. But you will be able to translate it, won't you, Danny Boy?"

"Eventually. I mean, every language can be decoded."

"Well, that's good news."

"Yes. Um, it may take a while."

"A while? How long is a while?"

"I can't possibly say. It depends on how complex the language is, how many characters are in its alphabet, whether its syntax can be…"

"DANIEL! Stop wasting time telling me how you'll do, just do it. Is Teal'c with you?"

"I am here, O'Neill."

"T buddy, at last the voice if sanity. I need you to report to Hammond, tell him what happened and get him to send some kit over for me and Carter. Oh, and Teal'c, keep an eye on the Spacemonkey and make sure he doesn't get sidetracked or distracted. I would like to be home before Cassie gets married and has kids."

"I think that is unlikely to happen soon, O'Neill. Cassandra Fraser is still quite young." Carter snorted again.

"Whatever. Just make sure Daniel stays focussed."

"I shall endeavour to do so, O'Neill."

"Thanks, T. O'Neill out." Silence fell for a few seconds until O'Neill looked sternly at Carter.

"And as for you…you need to stop laughing at your CO. It's _so_ not good for career advancement."

"Sir, yes, Sir."


	9. Chapter 9

Transported 9

By Oonagh

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Daniel glanced from the pillar to Teal'c and back again.

"Jack's not going to be happy. This is going to take a long time."

"Do not be pessimistic, Daniel Jackson. Perhaps the translation will be easier than you anticipate." Daniel frowned, looking unconvinced.

"I hope you're right, Teal'c. But I doubt it." Shaking his head, Daniel crouched down beside the pillar and pulled a notebook out of his pocket.

"Teal'c, when you're reporting to the General you could bring back a camera. This'll be easier if I have photos I can use in the office. And I'll be warmer." Teal'c nodded and started back up the hill, leaving Lambert and the marine they'd brought with them to watch over Daniel as he worked.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"So, Carter, what do you want to do now?" O'Neill's voice broke into Carter's reverie. After radio contact had ended he had lain down on the ground, pulled his cap over his face and feigned sleep. Carter had kept watch. At least that was one god thing about being in the middle of a large, flat, open wilderness – if anything was coming you'd spot it long before it reached you. The peace and quiet had lasted about ten minutes before O'Neill grew bored of sunbathing. When he spoke Carter turned to face him, wondering how he ever fished – he was much too impatient. Ruthlessly she quashed this thought. Thinking about her CO and fishing at the same time was prohibited

"I have no idea, Sir. What would you like to do?"

"Do you really want to know?" O'Neill cocked an eyebrow suggestively and Carter gaped. Then O'Neill grinned.

"Sorry but that was too funny to resist." Carter glared at him and he tried – unsuccessfully - to look contrite.

"I really am sorry, Carter. You know I didn't mean anything by it." In contrast to his expression his tone was so sincere that Carter believed him. And realised she wasn't too happy about it. Again she quashed that line of thought and responded in kind.

"Well, I'll forgive you this once. But remind me to sit you down some day and explain the concept of 'red light' to you, Sir." This time it was O'Neill's turn to analyse _her_ words. Was she really offended? Did she truly feel the need to warn him off? O'Neill shook these questions off. They were irrelevant to their current situation. Still, he decided a subject change was probably in order. He didn't want to push his luck. He lay back down again.

"This is fun. I always enjoy being stuck on a planet with no apparent way home."

"Well, Sir, this is the first time for me. I'm quite looking forward to it."

"And well you should, Carter. It's always great fun. You get to sit around doing nothing. Sometimes you get to search for edible – and non-psychotropic – plants. And, if you're really lucky, you get to shoot your only companion."

"I think we could skip that last part this time, Sir."

"Don't speak too soon, Major. After a few weeks here you'll probably be itching to shoot me. In fact, I think I'll make sure Daniel doesn't zap through any weapons. Don't want t put temptation in your way – it's the job of a good CO to prevent his subordinates taking any rash actions that may result in Court Martial." Carter laughed. Then she shook her head.

"Seriously, Sir, Daniel will work this thing out in no time. We'll be home for the weekend."

"Wanna bet?"

"Sure."

"Okay then. You say before the weekend. I say not a chance. Loser buys dinner?"

"You're on, Sir. But the winner gets to choose the restaurant."

"Fine. I hope you like Turkish food, Carter."

"Won't be an issue, Sir. You're going to lose."

"Whatever you say, Carter." O'Neill pulled his cap back down over his eyes to block out the sun. Carter watched as he drifted off to sleep. She smiled. He looked so relaxed and at ease but she knew that one noise or sudden movement on her part would have him awake and on his feet in seconds, alert for battle. Colonel O'Neill, she knew, was a warrior through and through, a trait that had saved her life so often she had lost count. And a trait that meant he could never truly relax. Sometimes she worried that the constant stress would eventually prove too much for him. At other times she was convinced that it was the constant stress that kept him going. Fleetingly, she wondered again if he relaxed while fishing. _Maybe I should go with him someday, just to see._ That thought almost made her laugh out loud._ Way to rationalise, Carter – take a trip with the Colonel purely in the interests of scientific observation._

She shook her head, surprised at the turn her thoughts had taken. She hadn't thought of the Colonel in those terms for a long time. _You mean you haven't allowed yourself to think that way – and it took a lot of effort._ Carter sharply dismissed that thought and removed her gaze from the dozing Colonel, turning to the eastern horizon. She forced her thoughts to follow her eyes and began planning for the eventuality that she was wrong about being home for the weekend.

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

Author's Note: I have a small dilemma with where this story is going. Should I keep within canon romance-wise or should I make the story Sam/Jack. Either would fit in with the overall plot and I can't decide so if anyone has any thoughts or opinions I'd be glad to hear them. Oonagh.


	10. Chapter 10

Transported 10

By Oonagh

Author's Note: thanks for all your reviews, suggestions and opinions. I was amazed at how many and how varied they were. I've taken everything everybody said into consideration and here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to write this story and let the relationship between Sam and jacks evolve as it will. How far this will go I'm not entirely sure. However, for those real diehard Sam/Jack fans out there I will produce a shippier version if they're not happy with the ending. So that's how things stand at the minute. Thanks again.

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It didn't take much effort on Carter's part to come up with a viable plan – given their surroundings there weren't too many options open to them. Obviously, they couldn't stay where they were. It was too open and there were no natural resources nearby – no wood, no water, no food – and it wouldn't be wise to depend wholly on care packages from home, not when they had to come through a device that they didn't understand and couldn't control. But it was, obviously, undesirable to move far from their landing point – tenuous though their connection was, it was their only link to home. She watched as the sun moved across the foothills of a mountain range to the east, bathing the lightly rolling ground with light and making them appear almost red. From what she could see those hills offered the best hope for shelter within a reasonable distance of their present position. Maybe tomorrow, if they hadn't heard from Daniel, they should go and investigate. Carter reached over and shook O'Neill, eager to share her idea.

"Carter, you'd better have a good reason for waking me. I was having a great dream. There was beer."

"Sorry, Sir. I just thought we should start planning for the future."

"I thought we'd be home in three days, Carter."

"We will be. But it doesn't hurt to be cautious."

"Hope for the best, plan for the worst, you mean?"

"Well if you _must_ use a cliché, then yes, Sir."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Teal'c returned to the hillside, along with three SFs, carrying equipment for O'Neill and Carter and a camera for Daniel. He handed the camera to the archaeologist, who by now was on his second notebook.

"Are you sure you don't recognise this writing, Teal'c?"

"I am certain, Daniel Jackson. Why? Is something amiss?"

"No. No. It's just the more I look at it, the more familiar it seems. There's something…I just can't put my finger on it." Daniel shrugged and returned to his work, this time taking multiple shots of the pillar from every angle. Teal'c watched him for a moment and then pressed down the talk button on his radio.

"O'Neill."

"Hey, Teal'c. How's it going?"

"General Hammond has been informed of your predicament. I have brought the equipment you requested. I shall commence transporting it as soon as you are ready to receive it."

"In your own time, T. We're ready on this end. Very ready. Send through some food first, would you?"

"Certainly, O'Neill. I had anticipated that request and have some protein bars here. Will that suffice?"

"It'll do for a start." Teal'c threw the power bars past the pillar and watched them vanish. Then he turned back to the SFs and began to supervise the loading of the supplies on to two trolleys – it wouldn't do to throw through tents and firewood.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

O'Neill stepped back from the mud pile just in time to avoid being hit by two flying protein bars. He grinned triumphantly. Carter rolled her eyes and bent to pick up the bars. She handed one to O'Neill and began to eat her own, unable to contain a groan of pleasure at the first bite. O'Neill grinned, already halfway through his own bar.

"I don't think anybody's ever been _that_ happy to see a power bar before." Carter ignored him, too focussed on her food to be embarrassed. It was almost twenty-four hours since she had last eaten – she wasn't counting the Milky Way she'd had for breakfast – and her stomach had been rumbling constantly, and loudly, for the last hour. The Colonel had spent that time cracking every Winnie-the-Pooh joke he could think of. Carter had stopped listening after the first three; it was either that or brain him with a rock. And so now she was relishing this food, little though it was, eating it slowly and with great concentration.

"Carter, sorry to interrupt whatever it is you've got going with that bar but we should move away. There's gonna be bigger things coming through and I don't want the cause of death on my death certificate to read, 'crushed by falling tent'. It would be embarrassing." Carter didn't respond, her mouth still full, but she did move away with him. Before she had finished her mouthful of food, the first trolley trundled unsteadily into view. The two soldiers quickly ran forward and hauled it out of the way. Almost immediately the second trolley followed.

"O'Neill. That is everything. Has it safely arrived with you?"

"Yep. We'll do an inventory and let you know if we need anything else. So stand by. O'Neill out."

"Acknowledged, O'Neill." As soon as the two trolleys came to halt Carter began unloading them, placing everything in neat piles. O'Neill stood and watched her for a minute, grinning. Her obsession with organisation never ceased to amuse him. He knelt beside her.

"So, what goes where?" He couldn't keep the grin from his voice. Carter cast him a look.

"You're mocking me, aren't you, Sir?"

"No! Carter, you know I would never do that. I'm just a little afraid of what you'd do if I messed up your system." Carter rolled her eyes again but otherwise ignored him. O'Neill reached over and lifted a small bag off the trolley and began to rifle through it, placing the contents randomly on the ground. Carter watched him out of the corner of her eye until she could not contain herself any longer.

"Sir, why don't you go and put up the tent?" O'Neill laughed.

"Don't worry, Carter. I'll leave your precious little piles alone." Still laughing, O'Neill hoisted the tent on to his shoulder and walked a short distance away to erect it. Carter stuck her tongue out at his departing back.

"Don't think I don't know what you're doing, Carter."

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	11. Chapter 11

Transported 11

By Oonagh

Disclaimer: Not mine.

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The rest of that day and the following night passed slowly but peacefully for the two stranded soldiers. They spent the night taking turn with guard duties, just as they had the night before, but nothing happened during either watch. Colonel O'Neill shook Carter awake for the final watch.

"This has got to be the most boring planet _ever_, Carter." Carter couldn't disagree. The hours of her watch dragged by and she started to understand exactly why the Colonel hated being stranded. It was so _dull_.

The next day again dawned bright and clear – even the weather was uneventful. Carter made breakfast before waking O'Neill. He took one look at the foil packet she handed him and grimaced.

"MREs. Yum." He glanced at the label and Carter smiled, knowing what was coming next.

"I don't know why I bother looking. They all taste the same. It must take a lot of hard work to get Bolognese and Macaroni Cheese to taste the same." O'Neill settled down on the ground, still grumbling, and began eating. Carter started on her own and silently agreed with everything O'Neill had said. MREs were the worst thing about being military. Well, the second worst thing. The _worst_ thing was being shot at regularly.

After breakfast the two discussed setting out to do some recon but in the end they decided to wait and see if Daniel or Teal'c checked in. That way they could see what progress was being made before making any decisions about the future. Glancing at his watch, O'Neill figured that they couldn't expect any contact for another few hours at least.

"So, Song Game?"

"Must we, Sir?"

"Yep."

"Really?"

"Yes. And that's an order."

"I think I just figured out what happened on the _Bounty_, Sir." O'Neill ignored her.

"You first, Carter." Carter heaved a huge sigh, regretting teaching him the game. Who'd have guessed he'd actually enjoy it?

"'I'm afraid of the dark.'" O'Neill looked at her blankly. He blinked twice and then spoke.

"But I lied and told my CO that I hadn't been since I was two." Carter gaped. She couldn't believe that, after all these years, he still remembered her saying that. She briefly wondered if he still remembered the blue dress, too. He'd liked that dress.

"Well, am I right?" His voice snapped her back to the present and she quickly dismissed the memory of how pleased she'd been at his reaction to the dress.

"No, Sir. Strangely enough that's not the words. The next line is actually, 'Especially when I'm in a park'."

"No way. There's no way that's a real song. You're making it up."

"Nope, Sir. It's a real song. Seriously. I swear." O'Neill frowned at her and she grinned.

"You _are_ making it up. Nobody would write lyrics that _stupid_."

"It's a real song, Sir. One of Cassie's favourites actually." O'Neill harrumphed.

"It's still stupid."

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By lunchtime both O'Neill and Carter had begun to regret putting off their recon. They were bored. At least exploring would have given them something to do. The song game had lasted a while. Then they had played cards. After that O'Neill had stripped down his rifle and Carter had settled down with pen and paper to work on some equations which had been causing the scientists back at the SGC some problems. Then came lunch, which consisted of another MRE and another round of grumbling from O'Neill on the subject of why they couldn't have sent some decent food through.

"I'll bet it was Hammond. He probably thinks it funny. Right now he's probably tucking into a big dish of lasagne and laughing at us." Carter smiled tolerantly.

"I don't think so, Sir. It's just procedure."

"Well, it's stupid." Carter grinned. It looked like 'stupid' was O'Neill's word-of-the-day. O'Neill scowled down at the offending MRE.

"I _really_ hate these things."

"Me too, Sir." O'Neill brightened.

"Maybe we could start up some sort of support group. We could call it…"

"Jack? Sam? Come in." O'Neill grabbed the radio and plunged in the button.

"We're here, Daniel."

"Good news, Jack. I've translated the pillar and I know how it works."

"Excellent, Danny Boy. Beam us up."

"Um. I can't."

"You _can't_?"

"No, pillar only goes one way. But…"

"One way? How the hell is that good news?"

"Well, at least we know what's going on and…"

"We already _knew_ what's going on. We're stuck here. Your job was to find out how to unstick us."

"I know, Jack, and…"

"Well, I _am_ glad to hear that, Daniel. So maybe you could explain why the hell you haven't done your job." Static answered O'Neill's yell and Carter spoke.

"May I, Sir?"

"Knock yourself out, Carter. And knock _him_ out while you're at it."

"Daniel, it's Sam. What's going on? The translation took a lot less time than you estimated."

"Um. Yes. Um, it wasn't as hard as I anticipated. I, uh, thought it looked a bit familiar. And it was. It was Ancient. But…"

"But you can read Ancient, Daniel. So how did it take you this long to figure out what it said?" O'Neill still sounded irritated.

"Um, it was written backwards. And upside down. A code of sorts."

"A code a ten-year-old could break in thirty seconds!"

"Um, yes. Probably. But I wasn't expecting it. The Ancients don't usually encode things like…" O'Neill cast an infuriated look at Carter and she quickly interrupted Daniel's explanation.

"And it definitely says that the device only goes one way?"

"Yes. But there's another device that comes back." O'Neill growled.

"Why didn't you say that before?"

"You kept interrupting, Jack. And yelling." O'Neill opened his mouth to respond but Carter got in first.

"That's great news, Daniel. Do you know where the other device is?"

"Yes. More or less. Is there a mountain range to the east of you?"

"Yes."

"Then the pillar's on the other side, in a valley, between two very distinctive peaks. There're some pretty precise directions on the pillar. I'll send you the translation."

"So all we need to do is hike through some uncharted mountains, find a three-foot-high pillar hidden in a valley and beam back?" Daniel ignored O'Neill's sarcasm and answered his question seriously.

"Yes. Sort of. There may be a few complications."

"Complications?" O'Neill's voice grew dangerously quiet and Carter was willing to bet that Daniel was _very_ glad he was on another planet.

"Yes. You see, the pillars were set so far apart deliberately. The Ancients who lived here – probably the distant ancestors of the Ancients we know – appear to have been tribal, each tribe with its own leader. The pillars were how they decided who the leaders would be. If a man wished to be tribal chief he was beamed through at this pillar and if he made his way back through the other pillar he was judged to be worthy of leadership."

"So the test was to walk through some mountains? That sounds awfully easy."

"It wasn't as easy as it sounds, Jack. That planet you're on is pretty dangerous, according to the pillar. And the Ancients also built some traps, to test the candidates. Only the strongest, bravest and smartest were successful. The rest died."

"The planet seems pretty benign so far."

"It may well be harmless now, Sam. It's been a long, _long_ time since anybody lived here – there are not even any visible remains of a society. So it's probably been a long time since anyone was beamed through to where you are. Who knows how much could have changed since then?" O'Neill and Carter exchanged glances, not exactly reassured by Daniel's words.

"What exactly were these dangers?"

"The pillar is pretty vague. There are some drawings of what look like very small dinosaurs with feathers. And there's mention of things that 'crawl, creep and slither'. Oh, and apparently the weather can be a bit tricky. I'll send through all the details before you leave."

"We'll need more gear, too."

"Teal'c's already working on that, Jack. We should be sending everything through to you tonight." O'Neill glanced at Carter again. She raised her eyebrows and shrugged. They had no real choice.

"Then we'll leave in the morning, Daniel. O'Neill out." Carter and O'Neill sat silently, each busy with their own thoughts, each worrying about what the morrow would bring.


	12. Chapter 12

Transported 12

By Oonagh

Disclaimer: Show not mine. Characters not mine.

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For two days O'Neill and Carter trekked across the plain, heading due east. The days passed uneventfully with no sign of traps, strange creatures or inclement weather. If they hadn't been carrying so much weight in their packs the first two days' journey would have been quite pleasant.

Then came the third day, when everything changed. It started off the same as every other day on the planet. O'Neill and Carter ate breakfast in the warm sunshine. Then they packed up their camp, put out their fire and began hiking, still due east. The foothills of the mountain range were much closer now – Carter estimated that they would start climbing late that afternoon. The plain ended just before the hills, changing to dense woodland. O'Neill spent the whole of that morning watching the forest grow closer and muttering about how much he hated trees. Carter merely smiled and nodded, used by now to her CO's unexplained tree-hatred.

They stopped for lunch about three hundred yards from the tree line. It wasn't quite lunchtime but O'Neill was adamant about spending no more time in the woods than absolutely necessary. O'Neill had just pulled two MREs out of his pack, grumbling the whole time, when the two soldiers heard a distant rumbling sound. They leapt to their feet, guns in hand, and looked around. About four hundred yards behind them was a huge herd of…something. They were running fast, straight for the two soldiers. O'Neill took a quick look through his field glasses.

"Looks like Daniel's feathered dinosaurs."

"Where did they come from? How could we not have seen them until they were so close?"

"Good questions all, Carter, but right now maybe you could focus that great brain on firing a few rounds over their heads. That should scare them off." Carter nodded and then both she and O'Neill raised their guns and fired off a brief staccato. The creatures took no notice. They were now fewer than three hundred yards away and it became clear that Daniel had been a little inaccurate when he described them as small. O'Neill winced.

"Aim for the leaders. If we take down a few, the rest might break off." Carter and O'Neill took careful aim and fired repeatedly. Not a single creature fell. The bullets simply bounced off their hides. They were only around one hundred yards from the two soldiers now and they began howling, sounding more like dogs than dinosaurs. O'Neill and Carter exchanged glances.

"Time for plan B, Carter. Run!" Carter bent down to grab her pack but O'Neill pulled her upright.

"Leave that. Make for the trees." The two soldiers took off at top speed, taking it in turns to turn around and fire, hoping it would do some good. It didn't. By the time they reached the tree line the creatures were only fifteen or so yards behind them. O'Neill looked around frantically until he spotted a particularly large tree close by.

"Get up the tree, Carter. Quick." Carter obeyed without question. She scrambled up the branches until she sat perched on a limb about fifteen feet above the ground. She slithered out along it to make room for O'Neill, who was close behind her. Carter looked down through the branches and watched the creatures reach the tree.

"I hope they can't climb. Or fly."

"No kidding." The creatures began leaping in the air, grabbing for their prey with their stunted front claws. None of them seemed to be able to jump higher than six feet and it appeared that they were unable to climb. O'Neill fired downwards, aiming at the more energetic of the creatures. Again the bullets bounced off.

"I'm going to kill that idiot when I see him."

"You can hardly say this is Daniel's fault, Sir."

"He told us to expect dinosaurs covered in feathers. Feathers! What kind of blind _idiot_ can't tell the difference between feathers and armoured scales?" Carter remained silent.

"And do those guys look small to you? I don't think so!" Carter had to agree with that point. Some of the larger creatures had to be of a height with her. And they looked terrifically strong.

"I guess the Daniel wasn't as clear as Daniel thought."

"Ya think?" The creatures stopped jumping and settled down in a circle around the base of the tree. Then they began howling again.

"Oh great!"

………………………………………………………………………………………………

For two hours Carter and O'Neill sat in the tree listening to the creatures howl. Loudly. Both soldiers sat in silence, conversation rendered impossible by the cacophony from below. Then, suddenly, the howling stopped. O'Neill and Carter peered down through the branches, hopefully, only to see that the creatures were still there. It appeared that they had given up hope of frightening their prey down from the tree and were now settling in for the long haul. They now lay on the ground, tails curled around them, cat-like.

"How long do you reckon they'll stay down there?"

"Probably until they decide we're more trouble than we're worth, Sir."

"Way to be exact, Carter."

"It's impossible to say exactly, Sir. It depends on whether there's easier prey around."

"I wish we were back on earth. At least everybody there already knows I'm more trouble than I'm worth." Carter rolled her eyes at O'Neill. Silence fell once again and lasted for about twenty minutes until O'Neill was finally overcome by boredom. He checked the ground again. The dinosaur-thingies were still there and they still looked hungry. He glanced over at Carter who as staring off into space, probably thinking great thoughts. He interrupted her anyway.

"Song game?"

"No, Sir, please." O'Neill frowned. He liked that game.

"The Minister's Cat?"

"Even worse, Sir."

"Well, we have to do _something_, Carter. Who knows how long we'll be stuck up here. And I'm bored already."

"Hopefully it won't be much longer, Sir. They'll go off in search of easier prey. And we could always just talk."

"Talk? About what?" Carter paused. She hadn't thought that far ahead.

"Um. How about fishing?" That should do. She _knew_ he was interested in fishing.

"You don't even like fishing, Carter."

"That's not true. I enjoy fishing. I used to go with my dad and brother before my mother died."

"But you never come fishing when I ask you. Not even when Teal'c or Daniel will be there."

"I still like fishing. Just like I always have. There's just never been a good time for me to fish, recently. I'm focussed on my job, on this war with the Goa'uld. That's what's important."

"You're job is more important to you than fishing?" O'Neill sounded incredulous and Carter frowned slightly. That was a strange question – didn't most people take their jobs more seriously than their hobbies?

"The war is more important to me than fishing. The Goa'uld must be defeated. Then I can think about fishing."

"Couldn't you fish and fight at the same time?" Carter frowned even more. This was just surreal. How could a simple conversation have gotten so confusing so fast? She tried to think of some nice way to ask what the hell he was talking about. She couldn't. He watched her in silence for a minute, waiting for a response, and then O'Neill slammed his hand into the tree trunk. Carter flinched.

"For crying out loud, this is stupid. We're both adults. We shouldn't have to sit here talking code. It's so damn ridiculous." Carter frowned at him, totally confused.

"Code? What code?"

"Fishing. We're not talking about _fishing_. We're talking about me. About how you…feel about me." Carter gaped and then quickly ran the recent conversation through her mind and understanding dawned. She shook her head vigorously. This was all wrong.

"I _was_ talking about fishing, Sir. If I'd been talking about you I'd have said, 'Sir, I think you're a very attractive man and, over the last few years, I feel we've developed a very special…connection. At some point I would be very interested in pursuing a romantic relationship with you. However, at the moment we both have other commitments. We can't let anything get in the way of the war, no matter how we feel.' Or words to that effect. I may have substituted sexy for attractive, depending on my mood, but you get the idea. Now, Sir, if you look down you'll see that Daniel's dinosaurs have moved away and it would probably be a good idea if we got moving. I _really_ don't want to still be here when they come back." Carter began to scramble out of the tree, suppressing a grin at the stunned look on O'Neill's face. Hopefully, that little speech would show him where he stood and he could stop having to examine every word she said for some hidden meaning. It alarmed her that things had reached that point between them. She had had no idea that her attempts to control her feelings for O'Neill had been so successful that she had hidden them even from him. It made her feel a little guilty.


	13. Chapter 13

Transported 13

By Oonagh

Disclaimer: Same as always

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Carter and O'Neill carried out a brief reconnaissance of the area as soon as they clambered out of the tree. Determining that the area was clear – at least for the moment – they hurried back to where they had left their packs. O'Neill groaned when he saw what the creatures had done. The packs had been torn apart and the contents scattered across the ground. Most of the supplies and equipment looked damaged beyond repair and everything was covered in saliva. At least O'Neill hoped it was saliva.

Working quickly and silently, the two soldiers gathered what was still usable and shoved it all into the least damaged pack, which Carter hastily patched. O'Neill wiped the MRE packets on the grass and then waved them at Carter.

"Not even alien dinosaur-monsters want them. Shouldn't that tell us something?" Carter grinned at him as she stuffed the food into the pack.

"I think that's it, Sir. Everything else is ruined. There's no point us carrying it across these mountains."

"Fine. We'll leave it here. All your thingamajigs working okay?"

"They're a bit battered, Sir, but most of them are operable. Except the handheld radiation scanner."

"Um, Carter, correct me if I'm wrong but isn't that particular thingamajig the one we'll need to find the other zappy pillar? I'm pretty sure that's what you said yesterday."

"Yes, Sir. According to Daniel's scan the pillar emits a low level of EM radiation on a specific frequency. But don't worry, Sir. I think I can fix the scanner."

"You think?"

"I'm certain it can be fixed, Sir. It just might take a while."

"Terrific."

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

The two stranded soldiers made good time that evening, not stopping until well after dark. They decided that stumbling through the forest by the light of their one surviving flashlight was infinitely preferable to being found by the dinosaurs again.

Eventually, O'Neill decided that they were far enough away from the presumed hunting ground of the creatures to risk stopping. O'Neill set about lighting a larger than usual fire – in the hope of frightening off any predators that _were_ lurking in the dark – while Carter shook out their saliva-sodden sleeping bags. She grimaced at the idea of sleeping in them but the dinosaurs had destroyed their tent and the night was too cold to spend it uncovered. Damp blankets were better than no blankets at all. Still, Carter was quick to volunteer for the first watch, hoping that her sleeping bag would dry before she had to use them. O'Neill agreed and – after reluctantly eating a late dinner of chicken curry – he retired to his blankets. He barely batted an eye at the dampness.

"At least they don't smell." Carter shook her head. That didn't really make her feel better.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Carter's watch passed uneventfully. _Another boring night on planet what's-its-name._ Although this time Carter wasn't really complaining. She'd decided that dull and dreary was preferable to re-enacting scenes from _Jurassic Park_. She woke O'Neill up, tired enough to be longing for sleep even if her blankets were still slightly soggy. O'Neill scrambled to his feet.

"My watch? Already?"

"Yes, Sir." O'Neill nodded and lifted his rifle.

"Get some sleep, Carter. Tomorrow we need to make up for the time we spent climbing trees today." Carter nodded as she removed her boots and wrapped herself up in her sleeping bag, carefully making sure that none of it touched her skin. She didn't consider herself to be squeamish but she drew the line at dinosaur saliva. O'Neill grinned at her in amusement as he realised what she was doing. She ignored him.

Despite her discomfort, it didn't take Carter long to fall asleep. She could hear O'Neill's footsteps as he slowly walked the perimeter and the constant rhythm made her feel safe and lulled her into sleep. She knew nothing could get at her with him out there.

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O'Neill made his way around the perimeter of their camp twice, peering into the darkness and listening for any sounds that didn't belong. Then he returned to the centre of camp to feed his fire. He _really_ didn't want that to go out tonight. He had chosen to camp near the foot of a large, easily climbed tree but that would only do them any good if they had time to climb it. He hoped the fire would buy them that time, if necessary.

He added large branches slowly, one at a time, not wanting to smother the fire. As he did that he watched Carter through the flames. In her sleep she had burrowed into the blankets – her subconscious being more concerned about the cold than about dinosaur saliva – and the only part of her that was visible was a tuft of blonde hair.

O'Neill allowed his mind to wander – trusting himself to keep watch on autopilot – to the speech Carter had made earlier. It had shocked him more than anything had in along time. He had never imagined Carter saying those things to him – and he had a pretty active imagination where Carter was concerned. Recently, he had resigned himself to the idea that any feelings Carter had had for him had vanished.

He hadn't been surprised; he hadn't expected them to last. He knew Carter could do much better than him and he'd always believed that she'd figure that out too. Lately he'd been convinced she already had. But it looked like he was wrong. Really wrong. He felt a huge grin creep across his face at that thought. He'd been smiling a lot that afternoon but he felt he was entitled. It wasn't every day that a woman like Samantha Carter called him sexy.

Behind his smile, however, his mind had been working with uncharacteristic zeal, trying to figure out the best way to respond to Carter's little speech. What should he do? What should he say? Now, as he sat watching the red colour of the flames flickering across her hair, he realised that the answer to both these questions was 'nothing'.

He had never made any secret of how he felt and what he wanted. His constant fishing invitations alone had made it clear enough. No, Carter could not be in any doubt as to his feelings. And, now, he understood Carter's. And, for the time being, that was good enough. Hope for the future – for a future with each other – would be enough to get them through this war. Smiling with satisfaction O'Neill stood and began to walk around the perimeter, guarding the sleep of his future.

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The next day dawned bright, clear, and warm. Carter and O'Neill left their campsite early, anxious both to make up for the time they'd lost the day before and to pass through the forest. They'd both be grateful when they could see more than ten feet in front of them. Open ground offered a lot less cover for putative attackers.

Fortunately, the forest started to thin out shortly before noon. Before lunch, Carter and O'Neill were totally clear of the trees. They found themselves in a rocky, uneven canyon between two of the foothills. The two began to pick their way through, still heading east.

About two hours after they stopped for a brief lunch reached the edge of what appeared to be a cluster of ruined stone buildings. They stopped just before the first wall, which stretched from one side of the valley to the other, looking almost as though it was an extension of the cliff walls. There was a narrow gap – possibly a doorway – in the centre. O'Neill glanced at Carter.

"Well?" Carter shrugged, staring down at the small device in her hand.

"It's still not working, Sir. But it doesn't matter. Daniel was very clear – the pillar is on the far side of the mountains."

"And Daniel's been _so_ right about everything so far." Carter ignored him and continued talking.

"The pillar won't be here, Sir. I think these are just ruins. They may not even be related to the Ancients. We don't know who else used this planet." O'Neill scowled.

"I hate this. We know squat. This could be anything. I don't want to walk into a trap. I _hate_ walking into traps."

"I don't think we have a choice, Sir. There's no way out of this canyon. The walls are much too steep to climb without proper equipment. And I don't think we should retrace our steps. We _know_ there's danger back the way we came." O'Neill nodded reluctantly. Carter was right, as usual.

"Okay, but keep your eyes open." O'Neill moved slowly through the doorway and into what looked like a long stone corridor. Carter followed close behind. Both soldiers held their rifles ready to use. Their footsteps echoed loudly on the rocky ground as they moved slowly between the two high stone walls which, for ruins, looked to be in very good condition.

Eventually they reached the end of the corridor. Two other corridors branched off, one to the left, one to the right. O'Neill glanced at Carter, who shrugged, and then set off down the left-hand branch. Again, Carter followed, clutching her rifle and keeping a close watch on the passage ahead. After a few minutes they reached another intersection. This time O'Neill chose the right hand path, trying to keep going in as easterly a direction as possible. Again, they reached the end of their chosen corridor. But this time it truly was the end – there were no branch-offs. Carter reached out and laid her hand on the wall, and then she barked out a laugh.

"Carter, what the hell is going on here? And why is it funny?"

"I think it's a maze, Sir"

"A maze? Who would build a huge stone maze in the middle of nowhere?"

"It's probably one of the challenges Daniel was talking about. The pillar said that only the strongest, bravest and smartest would be the ones to succeed at the quest. I'd say this is the intelligence test."

"Well then, I'm _really_ glad you're here with me." O'Neill grinned at Carter and she grinned back.

"This could actually be fun, Sir."

"See, when you say that, I worry." Carter's grin widened.

"Trust me, Sir. It's just a matter of figuring out the pattern. And, hopefully, that shouldn't be too hard – there are only a limited number of possibilities." O'Neill shook his head at the enthusiasm in her voice. Only Carter… Smiling, Carter began to retrace their steps.

"We have to back to the start, Sir." O'Neill growled. This didn't sound like fun to him.

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An hour and a half later Carter had traded enthusiasm for frustration. They had returned to the beginning of the maze and then had set out, turning right at every intersection. After fifteen minutes they had reached a dead end. . So they had trekked back to the start and tried taking every left-hand turn. That, too, had failed. Then they had tried left, right, left, right. That time they had managed to keep going for half-an-hour before reaching a dead end. Back at the start, they had tried right, left, right, left. Another failure.

Their most recent attempt had been left, right, right, left. They had only managed to get about five minutes from the start using that combination and now Carter was staring at the wall that was barring their way with a furious expression on her face. If the situation hadn't been so serious O'Neill would have laughed. Even given the situation, he couldn't resist poking a little fun.

"Still having fun, Carter?" Carter turned her scowl on him.

"There's something wrong, Sir. There's no pattern." O'Neill shrugged.

"There must be. Who'd build a maze with no way through? That'd just be stupid."

"I know, Sir. But I can't figure it out." She sounded so disgusted with herself that any desire to laugh on O'Neill's part vanished.

"You will." Carter nodded, although she looked unconvinced.

"We should go back to the start again, Sir." O'Neill nodded.

"We'll rest first, though. Maybe a break is what you need." Carter sank to the ground. O'Neill shrugged his shoulders out of the backpack he was carrying. He dropped it on the ground beside Carter and stretched with relief. He'd always hated carrying those things and, despite what Carter said, he really did think he was getting too old to lug heavy packs across unexplored planets. He closed his eyes and leaned back against the wall. Or at least he tried to but he just kept going backwards until he collapsed on the ground.

"Colonel!" Carter's voice sounded further away than it should and there was more panic in it than a simple fall should warrant. Clambering to his feet, O'Neill realised why. He was standing in a stone corridor. Alone. Carter was gone. The pack was gone. O'Neill cursed. He'd known this was a trap.


	14. Chapter 14

I know this is kind of breaking the rules but I could think of no other way to let people know what's going on with this story.

I recently started a new job and I have to undergo 1 month of residential training. I didn't realise until I got there that I would have absolutely no internet access whatsoever. Even this little paragraph is being posted by someone else.

This means that although the story is still being written (it's almost finished actually) I will probably not be able to post anything for another three weeks. I apologise for this and thank you for your patience. Please don't give up on the story because of the delay.

I promise I will resume posting as soon as possible and ask that until then you bear with me.

Thank-you,

Oonagh


	15. Chapter 15

Transported

By Oonagh

I know this update has been a long time coming. Sorry about that and thanks for your patience. I fully intend to make at least weekly updates from here on in. Reviews would be nice, let me know if anyone is still reading.

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"Colonel! Colonel? Can you hear me?" Carter's muffled voice came again.

"Yes, Carter, I can hear you."

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't know where I am though."

"It looked as though you went through the wall, sir."

"Through the wall?"

"You just leaned back and then you vanished behind the wall. The way you went back, it looked like the wall wasn't even there."

"The wall is there, Carter. I know because I can see it."

"Yes, sir. I think you must have triggered some kind of mechanism."

"Two in one week? That might be a record."

Just hang on, sir. I'm trying to find it." O'Neill settled down in the middle of the passageway, staying as far from the walls as possible. Ten minutes later Carter spoke again.

"I'm sorry, sir. I can't find anything. Maybe there's something on your side. Just feel along the wall." O'Neill stood up and reached out for the wall. As he watched in horror his hand passed right into the stone. He heard Carter yelp.

"Sir, your hand…"

"I know, Carter." O'Neill withdrew his hand and looked at it for a moment. Then he pushed his other hand at the wall. It passed right through.

"Can you see that, Carter?"

"Yes, sir. What's going on?"

"Damned if I know. Stand back, Carter." O'Neill withdrew his hand, closed his eyes and then walked forward. When he heard Carter gasp he opened his eyes again and found himself staring into her astounded face.

"That was weird."

"What did you do, sir?"

"Nothing. I just walked through."

"You must have done something."

"Nope." Carter shook her head andplaced her own hand against the wall. Nothing happened. O'Neill shrugged. He put his hand beside hersand it sank into the wall up to his wrist. Carter stared at it, speechless. Then she moved to the eastern wall.

"Can you do that here too?" O'Neill shrugged. He reached out both hands and pushed them through the wall.

"What does it feel like, sir?" O'Neill smiled at the wistful tone in Carter's voice.

"Nothing. It feels as if there's nothing there." Carter shook her head.

"I'd almost say itsa hologram, sir, except that it feels solid to me. Holograms can't do that. Its either real or its not."

"Who cares, Carter. This solves ourproblem. If we can just walk through the walls we don't have to worry about finding our way out. We can just keep heading east."

"**We** can't walk through walls, you can." O'Neill grimaced.

"There's got to be some way around that. Come here."

"Sir?"

"Take my hand, Carter." O'Neill reachedout his own hand and Carter nervously clasped it.

"Sir, I'm not sure this is a good idea. We shoulddo some tests, take some time to understand…"

"Nu-huh, Carter. I want out of this place. I want offthis planet. After three, walk at the wall."

"But…"

"No buts. One. Two. Three." Together O'Neill and Carter walked toward the wall. Carter clenched her eyes shut, fully expected to finish this experiment with a broken nose. She didn't open them again until she heard O'Neill gloat.

"See? I told you it would work." Carter glanced around and she could not deny that it looked as though he was right. They were definitely in a new corridor – the pack was nowhere in sight.

"You were right, Sir." O'Neill grinned.

"I love it when you say that."

"We should go back for the pack."

"You wait here. I'll get it." O'Neill stepped backwards through the wall. Carter winced, that just looked wrong. He was back in less than a minute and straight away he held his hand out. Carter entwined her fingers with his and together they turned to face the east-facing wall and stepped through it.

Carter kept her eyes open this time and was surprised that she saw nothing. While holding O'Neill's hand it really did feel that there was nothing there. She wished she could explain that. Why him and not her? Was it something he had been exposed to in the past? Maybe it was because he had the Ancient knowledge downloaded into his brain. Or was it genetic? Carter nodded to herself – that was possible. Maybe the ancients had only wanted people with a particular genetic make-up to succeed. The Ancient version of survival of the fittest. And it was highly likely that some humans would have inherited certain genes from the Ancients, given their huge influence in the galaxy.

Happily, Carter explained this theory to O'Neill as they walked eastward. . He paid more attention than normal, maybe because it concerned him or maybe because, with his hand clasped in hers, he was a captive audience. Carter reflected that maybe she should start holding his hand during briefings. That thought forced Carter to suppress a giggle. General Hammond's face would be a picture if she did that.

Carter adjusted her grip on O'Neill's hand slightly. She felt strange walking like this with him. Just a few days ago she had been running through the forest, holding his hand just like this and feeling totally comfortable. But in those few days something had changed. Maybe it was because they had been spending so much time together. Maybe it was because of her speech the day before. But now it did not feel like she was holding hands with a friend. It felt more…significant.

His hand was warm and rough and strong. Presumably, it had been exactly the same that night in the forest but she had not noticed. She had not noticed how nice it felt, how it made her feel closer to him, connected to him in more than just a physical way. Carter decided that she could get used to walking like this very quickly. _Something else to look forward to when the Goa'uld are gone._ This thought forced Carter to suppress a slight wistfulness at the idea of having to wait, to remind herself that some things were worth waiting for. And she very much suspected that Jack O'Neill was one of those things.

And so Carter walked east, stepping through walls with a smile on her face. A smile that was, she noticed, mirrored on the Colonel's face. She smile even wider when she realised that. It took them over two hours to exit the maze. They stepped through the final wall into an open valley that led east through the mountains, a winding snake of green among grey rock.

"It looks like we won't have to over, Sir. Hopefully this pass will lead us right the way to the other side."

"Hopefully? I don't think hope has any place on this rock. Something is bound to go wrong."

"Maybe not, Sir."

"Whatever. I'll believe that when I see it."

"Are we going to stop here, Sir? Or keep moving?"

"We'll keep moving. Cover as much ground as possible before dark." Carter nodded and the two of them began walking east, neither one commenting on the fact that their hands were still linked.


End file.
